A network environment typically includes hundreds and thousands network nodes and/or devices, such as routers, hosts, hubs, and switches, capable of delivering information using packets or packet flows from source devices to destination devices. Information, content, and/or payload pertaining to the transfer of packet(s) through the network are usually embedded within one or more packets. Typically, each packet traveling through a network can be treated independently from other packets in a packet stream or flow. For example, a node or a router within a network processes incoming packets and determines where the packet(s) should be forwarded. To process a packet, a node which may include one or more network elements (“NEs”), for example, reads information stored at the header of packet to determine a destination Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, and subsequently forwards the packet according to the destination IP address.
To manage and monitor packet traffic in a high-speed conventional communications network, a measurement of netflow within IT (information technology) industry has been developed. A netflow, in one example, is a mechanism to control net traffic and measure network usage by end users. Each netflow or net flow may include a group of packets, which may carry data, video, audio, or a combination of data, video, and audio information. Some flows last for a long time due to continuous data transfer while other flows are transient because they exist for a short period of time such as a ping command. As such, facilitating and monitoring packet flows traveling through a routing engine (or a router) is a critical network task.
With more and more essential information traveling through the network, stable and reliable network become vital to every end user. Maintaining and securing network traffic between intended and unintended recipient(s) become more important. Conventional network providers typically rely on attached network device to maintain data integrity. Network usually does not have the ability to monitor content of the packet flow traveling through the network. Network generally transmits packets or packet flows regardless what content that packets actually carry.